1. " With our hands stretched out to India for alms, Bhutan cannot dictate ( Kha tala ma laap ju- mey tub ) " declared the PM in the 1st Friday Meet the Press session. Bhutanese Print Media was so silent about it. Pehaps the significance could not be registered with dormant minds. Thank you BBS for airing the clip. BBS camermen have a way of zeroing on beauties from amongst a crowd and BBS News producers have a knack of selecting video clips that conveys the crux of issues.
Actually no Bhutanese leader has ever dictated terms upon India. Except maybe by the Third King of Bhutan in His Majesty's absolute pursuit of UN membership for his Kingdom. And His Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck achieved the goal. And yes the same King was not thrilled about seeking alms from India. Indian PM Pandit Nehru had it on record upon his return to India after his visit to Bhutan " The Maharaja of Bhutan is reluctant to accept offers of assistance ".
2. " No further relationship development with China " says Foreign Minister Dr. Tandin Dorji.
3. " BBIN Transport Agreement ratification will be considered " declares the new Government.
Read all these policies against the background of:
1. " External affairs of the Bhutan will be guided by His Majesty the King " the PM elect had declared before DNT cabinet was sworn in.
2. The DNT Political Party publicly announced that the " Party was submitting to His Majesty the list of all DNT elected MPs for the King to appoint the Cabinet Ministers ".
The message from DNT Party was clear. That His Majesty the King is in charge of foreign affairs like relationships with India and China. And that Cabinet Ministers are chosen by His Majesty. So it is pre- democracy Royal Government and therefore, pre-democracy status quos with India and China will be maintained.
If His Majesty is really in direct charge of governance especially in matters of relationsips with China and India and the PM and FM are simply announcing royal decisions, there is nothing to comment about. Any expression of different views can be construed as an act of sacrilege. Baby Bhutan better be left in the secured comfort of Indian arms suckling Mother India Breast if that is the Royal Majestic desire.
Let me only repeat here an old famous Bhutanese proverb of caution.
" Not advisable to predict the weather and the ways of a King "
My own thought is that the institution of Bhutanese Monarchy, too, has all the compelling reasons to wrest away the Kingdom from day to day domination from India. A vision that many ordinary Bhutanese may also be harbouring. I am one such humble subject of Druk Gyalpo.
Great friendship with a long time development Partner India is desirable and important. But total subordination spells doom for national sovereignty if not for the welfare of common Bhutanese people and the leaders. And if PM Lotay has priority for alms over sovereignty " laab fa chang dey, kha ta lama laap ju- mey - tub ", then Sikkim is an outstanding example to follow.
Let India take care of Bhutan. Why does Bhutan even need a namesake Royal Government, a Prime Minister or even a King? Just a situation of overburden of pile of bosses over Druk nation which seems to be ultimately at the mercy of New Delhi.
PDP cabinet spent 5 years to push BBIN supremacy over Druk Yul and now DNT government's 1st priority is to pursue the same goal. Both PDP amd DNT Prime Ministers said that they are guided by the same King. If His Majesty the King is behind the push for " BBIN Supremacy " and " No Deal " with China then BBIN Transport Agreement should have been a Done Deal by now. And Bhutanese Army should have also joined Indian Army at Doklam to invade China. But both did not happen.
So who is masterminding the affairs of Druk Yul? Is Bhutan an open prison captive of India, having the right to move only within an allotted parameter? This could explain the dithering and withering policies of the not so majestic Royal Governments of Bhutan since 2013.
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